Coin-controlled apparatus.



W. S. HBNDREN.

GOIN OONTROLLED APPARATUS. APPLIoATIoH FILED APR. 12, 1910.

991,984. l Patenaed May 9, 1911.

2 SHEETS-LBHEET 1.

W. S. HENDREN. com `GONTROLLED APPARATUS.

APPLIUATION FILED APB.. 12, 1910.

Patented May 9 1911 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 w Mp 5 /AJ w, 1M; z

T Pw WALTER S. HENDREN, 0F NICHOLASVILLE, KENTUCKY.

COIN-CONTROLLED APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led April 12, 1910.

Patented May 9, 1911.

Serial No. 555,063.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, lVAi/rnn S. HENDREN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Nicholasville, in the county of J essamine and State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful Improvements 1n Coin-Controlled Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to coin-controlled apparatus and particularly to an automatic checking cabinet, the object of the invention being to provide a device of this character which may be used in public places such as theaters, dance-halls or the like and to provide novel coin-controlled mechanism which operates upon the introduction of a coin to open or release the door of the 1nclosure, means being provided whereby upon such operation the operator will receive a slug which may be deposited in the apparatus to release the door or closure from the lock mechanism thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a latch mechanism, a slug receptacle, an ejecting element for the slug and to so arrange such elements that upon insertion of the coin the ejecting element will be actuated to discharge the slug onto the latch mechanism to operate such mechanism and to release the same from the closure or door and to permit the slug to be discharged from Said mechanism to the operator of the device, the latch mechanism being of a construction whereby upon insertion thereof into the apparatus when the operator desires to remove the checked articles the slufT will be automatically delivered to its initia position for further immediate operation.

In the drawings, forming a portion of this specification and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views z-Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved checking cabinet. Fig. 2 is a similar view on an enlarged scale showing parts broken away to clearly illustrate the invention. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective View of the door of the inclosure. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the latch member operated to discharge the slug to the receptacle therefor.

My improved automatic checking cabinet consists preferably lof one or more inclosures, as shown at A in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Each inclosure is provided with a hingedly mounted door or closure 1 on which is secured a keeper 2 to be engaged by the latch 3 on the door frame. This latch is pivoted, as shown at 4, between the Walls of a slot 5 which latter is suitably formed to permit the desired swinging movements of the latch.

The latch is formed to provide a slugactuated portion (3 which extends into the slug chute 7 atI a point immediately above the slug-receiving pocket 8. This pocket is formed in the lower wall of a passage 9 in the lock mechanism, and as shown, at one end it opens directly into the slug chute 7 and at the opposite end it opens into the coin chute 10. An ejecting element 11 is pivoted, as shown at 12, between the walls of the passage 9. This cjccting element is provided with an ejectin is formed to engage the elge portion of the slug 14. The element is also formed to provide a finger 15 which extends directly into the coin chute 10 to be disposed directly in the path of movement of the coin. The upper wall of the passage 9 is flared upwardly toward the slug chute, as shown at- 16, for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The latch 3 is operatively connected by means of a rod or link 17 with an actuating element 18, the same being arranged below the pocket 8 and immediately beneath the actuating element G as shown particularly in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The latch member is normally engaged with the keeper 2 on the closure 1 to hold the said closure against the tension of a leaf spring or similar' elastic element 19 on the door frame. This spring is constructed so that its free end bears against a projection 2O on the door, the office of the spring being to move the door to a partly open position immediately upon release of the latch 3 from the keeper.

The coin and slug chutes herein described open at their upper ends directly in front of the casing of the door and in posit-ions to permit the convenient insertion of the coin and slug respectively. At the bottom of the chute 10 is arranged a suitable coin-receptacle 21 and at the bottom of the chute 7 is arranged a pocket or trough 22 into which the slug 14; will be discharged and positioned for convenient reach by the operator of the apparatus.

In operation of the improved coin-controlled apparatus, assuming the door 1 to be in a closed position, a dime or coin of a certain denomination is inserted in the coin fr finger 13 which chute l0 where it will be permitted to travel without interruption until it contacts with the actuating portion 15 of the ejecting element. This ejecting element will be then moved to cause the check 14 to be discharged into that portion of the chute 7 between the actuating elements 6 and 18. In downward movement of the slug it willbe caught by the actuating element 18, moving the latter to a position to release the latch 3 from the keeper 2 as will be understood. After the actuating element has been moved to a. posit-ion to cause the portion 23 thereof to lie against the flared wall 2 of the chute 7 the slug will be free to travel further in a downward direction for iinal discharge into the trough or pocket 22, whereupon, it may be taken by the operator of the apparat-us. After the operator has inserted the articles to be checked in the cabinet the door is moved to a closed position, whereupon, un-

der weight of the link or rod 17 the latch. member will be held engaged with the keeper 2 until the insertion of the slug 14.

After the check 14 khas been inserted in the chute 7 it will fall downwardly therein tol engage the actuating element 6 to cause the latch 3 vto be again disengaged from its keeper. The actuating element 6 is so formed that it will act as a guide to direct the dcposited check into the pocket 8 for further operation of the apparatus.

It will of course be understood that the respective compartments of the cabinet shown in Fig. 1 will be marked and that the slugs 14 to control the latch mechanism will be correspondingly marked. It may also be stated that it is desirable to construct the slugs differently, that is each slug will either be of a different weight or of a certain configuration so that it will only operate in a slug-receiving chute of a design conforming with that particular slug. The door of each inclosure is formed with a transparent panel so as to indicate to the customer just which compartments are occupied. It will of course be understood that the slugs may each be of the same weight but of a configuration of any approved well known construction to correspond with similar escutcheons, this being desirable so that one holding a check for a certain inclosure could not operate the lock mechanism of any other inclosure with the check in his possession.

I claim The combination with the swinging closure of a receptacle, of a keeper on the receptacle, a lower pivoted actuating element on the closure, a latch .member disposed above the actuating element and engaging the keeper to hold the closure against opening, the said latch member having an actuating portion disposed immediately above depressed to move the latch to a released position from the keeper.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two wit-nesses.

WALTER S. HENDREN.

Witnesses:

C. A. KNIGHT, 'DAN l?. HnlvrrHILL.l

YGogpies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

